"HAHA! Hah… hahahaha… AAHAHAHAHA!"
"I knew it! I knew you'd come back! Don't you dare leave me alone in there again, you treacherous toaster!"
"Psychological integrity: 61%. Balance: reboot pending. Sanity: …loading."
"Mnex… I didn't think I'd ever be this happy to see you again. I was actually planning to hunt down Lorath and bring you back."
"Bring me back from where?"
"I thought I had died. When I ended up in the Void…"
"You thought you died because you woke up in your own mind? This is your mind world. Why would you die? Also... why did you pee your pants?"
"...What?! You know about that? No! Nothing like that happened! You're clearly mistaken!"
"No. I can measure the temperature and humidity levels in your pants in real time."
A long silence.
"…Did you place the core stone your grandfather told you about?"
"Oh… I forgot."
"How could you forget in under a minute?"
"I don't have a watch, okay? But from where I'm standing, it wasn't just a minute, it felt like forever in here!"
Mnex suddenly went quiet.
"…Analysis initiating. Ana...lysis… s-sta…rt. Ana…lysis…"
[!CRITICAL WARNING!]
Temporal Synchronization Anomaly Detected
External Time Flow: Real Time (1x)
Internal Mental Processing Speed: Accelerated (525,600x)
Result: Severe delay in data synchronization
Error Code: VSD-3192-R
Symptoms:
— Command echo latency: 187.442 ms
— Memory loading timeout: 73.192 ms
— Emotional stability flags: RED
— Perceived duration: 1.07 mental years
— Control Channel Status: CORRUPTED
— System Stability: UNSTABLE
User at risk of mental fragmentation
Recommended protocol: Connect to identity anchor
Suggested: [User Defined Anchor: Mnex]
[PROTOCOL INITIATING: MENTAL LOCKDOWN]
[CORE OBJECT: ME]
"Henry! If you're still there… use me. Use me as your anchor. Quickly, Henry..."
"I don't know what to do! What's going on?!"
"Qui..ck..ly..d-designate..me.. as.. your.. anchor…"
I shut my eyes.
Void.
Mnex.
Center.
Center.
Mnex.
Void...
And suddenly, birds chirped. Sunlight touched my face.
And yes, my pants were still wet.
"Congratulations, son. Your first mental journey is complete. It's small now, but it'll grow as you train it and…"
He looked down at me. Then at my pants.
"...Don't worry. Happens to the best of us on their first time. Go get cleaned up."
I didn't walk away in shame.
I walked away in raw, primal fear.
Mnex? What the hell just happened?
"Temporal deviation. While trying to retrieve external data, time outside passed too slowly. But my own processing speed didn't adjust. The system crashed. Fortunately, since you designated me as your mind's anchor… I now exist both here and out there."
Wait, did you finally back yourself up?
"No. This isn't a backup. It's… simultaneous existence. The scientific term is quantum superposition. In your world, it's known as Schrödinger's cat. I'm both here and there."
Schröding-who? And... are you saying you're a cat now?
"Technically yes. But I refuse to meow. This isn't a normal occurrence. These anomalies are extremely rare in the Multiverse. It might be the result of interference from a higher being. But considering TABAAL sent you here… it may have been intentional."
So… it wasn't TABAAL?
"System permissions being verified...
Partial info release approved.
Let me put it this way: Think of everything as a corporate structure. TABAAL is the founder. Lorath is the CEO. Below them are directors, then regional managers, then city supervisors. Each continent, each realm every level has its own hierarchy."
Sounds… unnecessarily complicated.
"You people call it Yggdrasil. But in truth, it's just a management chart for the Multiverse."
And TABAAL controls everything?
"If he wanted to. But why bother? It's exhausting. That's why he created Lorath and others to manage individual systems."
So this world's crowded with middle managers?
"Compared to your last one? Definitely."
My brain hurts.
"Because you're trying to comprehend five dimensional logic with your three dimensional squirrel brain."
Wow. You didn't call me stupid for once. Character development!
"No. You're still an idiot. That's a constant in every timeline."
So… can I enter my mind world whenever I want now?
"No. It's even better. Your mind world is now permanently open. Most mages can only access theirs through deep meditation. But you? You have direct access. Think of it like... premium membership."
That sounds like a security risk. My brain's not going to explode, is it?
"Still within the realm of possibility. If you overload … poof! ... potato brain. But now that I can operate from within the mental realm, things will be much smoother. We can start developing ahead of schedule."
It was one of the rare times Mnex actually gave good news. My clothes were still a mess, but I felt lighter. I needed a bath.
In castle times, baths were communal. Water was boiled in massive copper pots and hauled upstairs by the unlucky.
My dream of a rich, foamy, scented bath? Still very much a fantasy.
Soaps existed, technically. But they were gritty, unscented, and barely effective.
"Getting into the soap business was a great idea," I reminded myself. Money, hygiene, and finally fragrance.
I didn't do much that day. Gareth had calibrated both the thermometer and the hygrometer. Raymond was busy transforming the workshop into a soap haven. My father? Deep in chicken affairs.
Finally, I had some time for myself. And maybe for my mother.
That evening, Mnex suggested drawing new project plans. "Even though, technically, concrete hasn't been invented yet," he said smugly.
I left the blueprints in his capable 'virtual' hands.
I closed my eyes.
He got to work.
Everything was peaceful...
Until morning.
BAM!
The door slammed open. Again.
Grandfather had arrived.
Once more loud, dramatic, and painfully punctual.
"So you're still working. Good. A man should know his duties. Now that you've accessed your mind world, it's time to develop it."
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and mumbled:
"Sir… do we seriously need to... like... do this now?"
Mnex cut in immediately:
"I require a parallel processor just to decode that sentence. Translation: 'Can we not do this at sunrise, please?'"
I sighed.
"So... why does it have to be this early, sir?"
Grandfather narrowed his eyes, like I'd just insulted his sword.
"Because a true mage must be strong both in mind and body. From now on, you'll rise at this hour every day. First mana cultivation. Then physical training. Then a proper breakfast."
Note to self: Grandfather might be building a private army.
"Now sit. Like yesterday. I'll show you how to store mana."
I obeyed. Sat on the cold floor again. No food. No comfort.
Just raw magic training.
"I won't go into the deeper theories of mana. The fact that you can feel it already means you've grasped the logic."
I wanted to say "That was Mnex," but I kept my mouth shut.
"But what you sensed was processed mana. Refined. In nature, raw mana flows freely all around us."
Like air?
"Like the air you breathe. But you can't exactly inhale mana."
That's when a spark lit up in my brain.
I'm a genius!
Mnex, of course, couldn't let it slide:
"You're wobbling on the tightrope between genius and absolute buffoonery."
Grandfather frowned.
"Focus."
My spine snapped straight.
"You will open the gate to your mind world. You will draw raw mana into it. This will saturate your mental domain. Once there's enough mana, you can craft spells within and eventually project them into the real world."
As he said this, he snapped his fingers.
Pop.
A small spark.
Then a torch like flame ignited at his fingertip.
It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.
"Hmm…"
That suspicious hum could only mean one thing.
Mnex was analyzing.
Don't just 'hmm' at me. Did you figure it out?
"You didn't even have to ask. That was… genuinely fascinating. I've only seen this kind of system deviation in cosmic entities before."
System deviation?
"Remember when you tried to punch Lorath and time rewound itself?"
Oh yeah. That was epic.
So... am I gonna bend time too? Like Doctor Strange?
"No, you cabbage brained primate. Time flows in one direction. This isn't a superhero flick."
But Lorath did it.
"Because Lorath lived in a universe he handcrafted. His rules. His sandbox. It was a pocket dimension."
What about TABAAL? He bent reality like it was a curtain and walked in wearing grandpa cosplay!
"TABAAL doesn't even belong to the system anymore. He's beyond the fifth dimension an extra systemic entity. He's… something else entirely."
He paused.
"But your grandfather? What he just did is on a different level. Because this isn't some vague elemental magic, it's science. When I analyze the mana output, it's not fire magic. It's a chemical reaction. Matter manipulation, straight up."
My grandfather extinguished the flame on his finger and turned to me.
"If that impressed you, it's your turn now. Fill your mind world with mana. Start crafting your own spells. The more you train, the stronger you'll become."
With Mnex's help, I dove back into my mind world. Re entering the Void made me slightly nauseous, but the excitement of building my own magic realm kept me going.
"Mnex, do you think I'll be able to shoot fire from my fingers too?"
"Theoretically? Sure. Practically? Well… First we need to fill this place with mana. And I hate to disappoint you, but… fully filling this space? Even your grandkids might fail to do that."
"So... it's impossible?"
"Not impossible. But it'll require control. Precision. Other mages release magic in short bursts. You? You'd struggle with that... if I wasn't here."
What do you mean?
"Since you chose me as your mental core, I can auto regulate mana intake and output. Think of it as passive regeneration. While you go about your day, I'll handle the storage. No need for 12 years of rock sitting meditation like in those dusty anime."
That's… amazing! So then, how do I start? How do we actually develop magic?
"I can't cast spells for you. But I can guide you."
"What's the first step?"
"I scanned your grandfather's flame spell. He didn't conjure fire from nothing. He combined oxygen and hydrogen and ignited them with energy. It was chemistry not fantasy."
"Okay, okay… cut the nerd speak. Explain it like I'm five."
"I already did, plankton-brain. Want fire? Then know what fire is. Want water? Understand water. Earth? Same deal. You need to observe, comprehend, calculate, and manipulate. That's the system."
"Ugh… Can't I just get a skill menu and scream 'Fireball!' like a normal protagonist?"
"…You're the reason the Multiverse has trust issues. No. No skill trees. No auto casting. No shortcuts. Just science. Just knowledge. Just effort. But…"
But?
"Luckily for you, one minute out there equals a whole year in here. Time's on our side. So… we've got all the time in the world."
"So I won't be able to say 'Blink!' and teleport like in anime?"
"Sure, if you crack space time theory. For now? Even lighting a candle might take you days."
My dreams… shattered.
I'd imagined hurling fireballs, teleporting into boss rooms, Mnex shouting, "Critical hit! Amazing combo!"
Instead?
All I got was observe, understand, calculate, and a depressing little screen that read:
Mana Saturation: 0.002%
I felt humiliated.
But then… something lit up inside me.
A tiny, stubborn spark.
You'll see, Mnex.
One day, I'll drown your smug gremlin face in raw awe.
I will become the greatest mage this world has ever seen.
And when that day comes?
You will kneel.
Code or not... you will bow.
I closed my eyes, standing in the silence of the Void.
"Let's begin."
And just like that…
The Magical Training in a Slow-Time Capsule Arc
officially began